Mission, Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes

Our Mission

Texas A&M University at Galveston is a special purpose institution engaged in teaching, research, and public service pertaining to the general field of marine resources. Within this context, the goal of the Department of Maritime Systems Engineering is to prepare students for performing engineering work and advanced study in the offshore and coastal realm. Opportunities for such work abound in the vicinity of the university, which is located just south of the fourth largest metropolis in the U.S. The Houston/Galveston area is regarded as the international focus of the oil industry. As this industry ventures into ever-increasing water depths, it presents a wide array of engineering challenges. Similarly, the exposure of its coastline to the extremely energetic climatic regime of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the impacts of a high level of urbanization and industrialization in the area, call for novel sustainable engineering approaches to deal with widespread coastal erosion and various environmental issues. Finally, the extensive port facilities in Galveston and Houston and the recreational and ship traffic on navigable waterways, afford opportunities to design and maintain a variety of associated engineered structures.

Educational Objectives

To produce students who:

practice engineering pertaining to offshore and coastal structures and associated marine systems (e.g. platforms, pipelines, harbors, terminals, etc.) in support of local industry and government agencies, in particular, to plan, design, construct, and maintain engineering works intended to: advance the extraction and transport of oil and gas products, protect the coastal environment from natural hazards as well as human/industrial influences, and to develop facilities for marine transportation;

and are well-prepared to engage in lifelong education and professional development, including advanced study.

Student Outcomes

Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have:

(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering

(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data

(c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability

(d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams

(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

(g) an ability to communicate effectively

(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues

(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.